Milwaukee Admirals have added goals and experience to their roster with the signing of free agent, Bobby Butler.

Butler is no stranger to the American league, having enjoyed much success at this level.

Picked up as a college free agent by Ottawa, the right winger would go on to suit up 36 times in the NHL during his 2010/11 rookie season.
Ten goals and eleven helpers was an excellent return but that would almost be overshadowed by Butler’s exploits with Binghamton during their Playoff campaign.
He broke records including AHL Playoffs Most Goals by Rookie (13) and AHL Playoffs Most Points by Rookie (17), helping the Senators to clinch a Calder Cup championship

The Massachusetts native has gone onto play 130 NHL games in total during his career (20 goals and 49 points) but has bounced around somewhat with spells for New Jersey, Nashville and Florida.

Butler broadened his horizons the previous two seasons, suiting up for Modo (SHL) before a pair of stints in the KHL for Medvescak Zagreb and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod respectively.

The 30 year old may still have aspirations as to one final shot in the NHL but Milwaukee will be delighted to have acquired a forward who has a proven track record in the AHL – accruing 87 goals and 166 points in 221 games.

The Admirals are likely to lose the services of Pontus Åberg to Nashville in 2017/18, with the Predators second round draft selection in 2012 purported to be taking the step up on a fulltime basis.
The Swedish forward has netted 25 and 31 goals in the previous two seasons respectively, leading Milwaukee in goal scoring and leaving a chasm that Butler shall be expected to fill.

The three-time AHL All-Star joins a rather youthful Milwaukee forward core, of which half of their number are 23 or younger

Nashville’s farm team have enjoyed regular season success the past two years but have been bundled out at the first hurdle by Grand Rapids Griffins in the post-season, on both occasions falling to a 3-0 series loss.